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Workshop - 'Environment, Capitalism and Resistance: From the Amazon to the City

Date: 24 October 2007 Time: 2.00-6.00 pm

Environment, Capitalism and Resistance: From the Amazon to the City

Institute for Advanced Studies, Lancaster UniversityMeeting Room 3

The workshop begins with an overview by Bronislaw Szerszynski (CSEC) of the political economy of the corridors cutting through the Amazon basin (corredores inter-oceanicos) and whose continuing development is central to the Latin American, neo-socialist integration project.

It will continue with a slide show about the Napo River by Martin Pedersen (CESAGen) who recently spent 9 months in the Amazon. The Napo River, 9th biggest tributary to the Amazon River, is threatened by the construction of the Manta-Manaus corridor and the presentation will touch upon the Ecuadorian "revolution" (or Constitutional Assembly) and its contradictions.

Nina Moeller (CESAGen) has also just returned from the Amazon, and will talk about her work with indigenous communities and organisations regarding the protection of traditional knowledge. This will include apresentation of the concept of "Collective Bio-Cultural Heritage" which has been developed by indigenous peoples' organisations as a response to absurd attempts to protect traditional knowledge by way of exclusive,intellectual property rights, and which reflects the inter-related nature of knowledge, territory, practices and community.

The talks will be followed by discussions and explorations of related future research collaborations and a nice meal in a nice place to chat more.

If you want to join us for food, please let n.moeller@lancaster.ac.uk know. For more background information, see also: http://colonos.wordpress.com